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Halo 4 vs Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Master Chief can take on an entire alien army without breaking a sweat. But is he any match for the FPS behemoth that is Black Ops 2?

13 November 2012/16:20GMT

Halo 4 vs Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 – overview

It's been 11 years since Master Chief blasted onto the Xbox with a thirst for blue Covenant blood, but over the years the man of few words has faced an enemy even more formidable than a Hunter on steroids. As the latest Call of Duty title lands today, we take a look at which shooter should be on top of your gaming arsenal – Halo 4, or Black Ops 2?

Halo 4 vs Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - characters

It's hard not to give Master Chief the edge over Black Ops' Alex Mason (or his son David). One is a regular (albeit very capable solider), the other a half-tonne genetically enhanced augmented super soldier with lightning-fast reflexes, super strength and the aid of a highly advanced AI sidekick. While both characters are fun to play as, there's no denying that you feel a hell of a lot more powerful stomping around in the Chief's big black boots.

Halo 4 vs Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 – single player campaign

Both Halo 4 and Black Ops 2 have compelling campaigns, though Master Chief's descent onto a mysterious planet in which he uncovers an ancient force will be more engaging than Black Ops 2's run and gun affair, for most.

Still, Black Ops 2 mixes things up a bit by flittering between the 1970s, 1980s and 2025, offering up futuristic weapons to contend against the glowing alien weapons in the Halo universe. Zombies mode also returns for both single and multiplayer modes, adding more depth to undead slaughtering than Halo 4's online infection mode.

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Halo 4 vs Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 – weapons

Black Ops 2 mixes things up a bit by flittering through the 1970s, 1980s and 2025, offering up futuristic weapons to contend against the glowing alien weapons in the Halo universe.

Invisibility, flechette guns and more futuristic goodies will come as a breath of fresh air for CoD fans, although Halo 4 also has plenty of new hi-tech weapons on offer, our favourite of which is a laser canon which disintegrates foes with one hit.

Halo 4 vs Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 – multiplayer

The multiplayer experience is the bread and butter of both titles and with billions of hours of online play already accumulated by existing CoD and Halo players, and we don't expect those headshot numbers to falter anytime soon.

Fans of vehicular warfare will prefer Halo's eight vs eight slayer battles, where death can be dealt out by land or air via tanks and armoured vehicles, or even alien aircraft and giant mech suits. It's total mayhem and a lot of fun for those looking for a their daily fix of crazy.

Black Ops 2 sees the return of the addictive Prestige System in which you unlock weapons and attachments as you progress through the ranks. Live match streaming also adds an eSports flair to online multiplayer, which is a nice bonus if you feel like watching pros slaughtering noobs will improve your game.

Halo 4 vs Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 – verdict

No matter which camp you stand in, both Halo 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will sell millions and make some serious finance. Halo 4 alone made over US$300 million in its first week, which is a mind boggling amount of cash for a single-platform title.

Both games will more than satisfy your FPS appetite, but we'd advise leaning more towards Black Ops 2 if you prefer a little more realism in your life. If sleek alien weapons, foreign worlds and freaky looking enemies are more up your street then Halo 4 is there to satisfy your trigger finger. Either way, kiss goodbye to your free time…